Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Man killed in tornado from Philippines

Updated at 10:34 pm on 4 May 2011

Civil Defence says the man who died as a result of the tornado that hit Auckland's North Shore was from the Philippines.

Benedict Dacayan was employed by Fletcher Construction and was working on the Placemakers building at a shopping complex in Albany when he was flung into the air and thrown into a concrete wall on Tuesday.

Mr Dacayan, 37, was married with two small children. Philippines Consulate General Emilie Shi says she has been in contact with the family and they are coping.

Fletcher Building says 15 men were working on the old Placemakers site when the tornado struck about 3pm.

Fourteen other people were injured, 10 of whom required hospital treatment.

Civil Defence controller Clive Manley says two people remain in Auckland and North Shore hospitals. One has a broken leg, while the other needed surgery and is in a stable condition on Wednesday.

A student nurse who tried to save the man killed described the ordeal as something out of a Hollywood movie.

Sophie Bond was in her car at the Mega Centre when the tornado struck and says she raced to try to save Mr Dacayan after he hit the wall.

Ms Bond tried to perform CPR on him, but it was already too late.

Listen to Morning Report interview with Sophie Bond

Listen to eyewitnesses on Morning Report

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